By: Bernadette Nixon, CEO, Algolia, Inc
This post is part of a special series to recognize Pledge 1% Members featured on the 2023 Cloud 100 List.
Why did you first decide to join Pledge 1%?
After researching the positive impact that Pledge 1% had to offer and speaking with other CEOs at a Pledge 1% event, I was inspired by the mission of Pledge 1% and how well the organization aligns with Algolia’s values. Joining the Pledge 1% became a no-brainer!
What does your Pledge 1% program look like in action? What does your program involve?
To honor our pledge, we chose to allocate 1% of our employees’ time to volunteerism, or about 3 days each fiscal year. We signed the pledge in February 2023 and kicked off our Global Giving Days program in June. While charitable matching and donations have been a core action of our value of care since our founding, our inaugural Giving Day in June marked the beginning of our formalized social purpose program and collaboration as a global team to give back.
Our People Success team has organized in-person and virtual events for our global team to provide each Algolian the opportunity to participate however they choose. We also encourage team members with existing relationships with non-profit organizations to use their time to volunteer with those groups.
About 350 Algolians participated in this inaugural event. We used their feedback to fine-tune our program to appeal to even more team members. Our second Global Giving Day was September 29th and we organized activities within our communities including in Paris, London, Sydney, Boston, Atlanta, and Austin, to directly impact our non-profit partners’ beneficiaries.
What have been some of the greatest highlights or impact moments to date?
Our employees have expressed both excitement to give back as well as connect with colleagues both in their regions and around the world. I am so proud that our Global Giving Day transcended borders with in-person events in seven cities worldwide and spanning across four different time zones.
At our first event in June, Algolians around the world rolled up their sleeves and came together in-person to make a tangible difference. In cities from Atlanta to Sydney, our teams assembled kits for children with learning differences, crafted book bundles for underserved communities, designed STEM kits to inspire young women, and more. The cities that hosted these impactful gatherings included Atlanta, Boston, NYC, SF, London, Paris, and Sydney.
Our virtual events were equally impactful, with participants joining from EMEA, US East Coast, US West Coast, and APAC regions. Team members enjoyed recorded audio stories to educate children about science, curated a job board of LGBTQ+ friendly employers, and created educational audiobooks, among other endeavors.
One of the most heartwarming aspects of our Global Giving Day was the impact it had on beneficiaries and participants alike. An Algolian shared:
“I’ve seen that I can help people from my home…it added meaning to my day. I appreciate that Algolia put this opportunity in front of me and prepared everything so all I had to do was say yes to a calendar invite.” – Algolia employee
“The idea of being able to help those in need is very powerful and motivating. I am happy to work for a company that shares these values.” – Algolia employee
Cradles to Crayons, a beneficiary that our colleagues in Boston supported by creating bundles of books for underserved communities, expressed their gratitude for Algolia:
“Your dedication and enthusiasm in creating these bundles for children from marginalized families have made a lasting impact on their lives. Your commitment to our cause is truly inspiring, and we cannot express enough how appreciative we are for your generosity. These book bundles will not only provide educational opportunities but also spark joy and imagination in the hearts of the little ones we serve. Thank you for being a beacon of hope and for making a difference in the lives of these children.”
What does it mean to you to be a Pledge 1% member on the Cloud 100 List? How are you leading with your values as a business?
We are delighted to be among such an amazing group of innovative and impactful organizations striving to make the world a better place! At Algolia, we strive to live by our core values each day as we know many of our peers on the Cloud 100 list do as well. Our pledge and all social purpose programs demonstrate our value of care and commitment to acting with meaningful purpose for the good of our peers, our customers, the community, and Algolia as a whole.
Can you share any quick tips or learnings you’ve gained while implementing your program?
I think the first step is to think about the needs of your organization and how those may align to implementing a social purpose program. At Algolia, as I am sure for many other companies, team members are seeking opportunities for these connections.. We chose volunteerism to honor our pledge and bring our people together. We are thankful to Pledge 1% for providing the structure and opportunity to do so.
If you were to give one piece of advice to companies thinking about joining Pledge 1%, what would you say?
Simply do it! Allocating time is the easiest way to honor your pledge and if you set the days ahead of time during your fiscal year planning process, then they are already embedded into the calendar. You can partner with a vendor or manage the program in-house, depending on your resources. It’s a great opportunity to bring your team together and have some fun while importantly giving back.
